£19bn plan for high speed rail link

THE company behind the high-speed Channel Tunnel rail link is working on plans for a similar line between London and Scotland.

London & Continental Railways wants to meet the Department of Transport this autumn to present its ideas for a line capable of slashing the five-and-half hour journey time to Edinburgh or Glasgow to under three hours.

It would cost between £12bn and £19bn, depending on the route. This would be decided by the Government, which would have to weigh up whether to go on the west or east side of the country.

The £5.2bn 68-mile Channel Tunnel link between London and the coast will be completed next autumn on time and on budget.

The London to Scotland railway would use existing rail technology and the TGV-style trains capable of travelling at 200mph.

LCR rejected proposals for a magnetic levitation system, where trains float on a magnetic field above the track. This would have allowed trains to reach more than 300mph.

Rob Holden, chief executive of LCR, said in an interview with Financial Mail: 'We would like to sit down with the Department of Transport and Network Rail to discuss our ideas for a new high-speed line between London and Scotland.

'The timing of this meeting depends on the recommendations of the Eddington Report on Britain's transport needs. We feel we have proved that we can build a new highspeed railway on time and on budget. And we would like to bring our project management skills to a new North-South railway line.'

Former British Airways chief executive, Sir Rod Eddington, has been asked by the Government to look into the country's entire transport infrastructure and to report on the best way to plan for the future with new roads, airports and railway lines. He is due to submit his findings to the Government in November.

The Department of Transport has examined the feasibility of a highspeed North-South railway and believes it is worth pursuing.

If it is built, it is likely to be partly subsidised by the Government, but the private sector would also be expected to put upbns of pounds.